Scotty Scott Awards Handed Out at the Shrine Bowl

One of the highlights of the Shrine Bowl football game is the presentation of the Scotty Scott Outstanding Citizens Awards at halftime of the big game. This is the 2nd class of players to be selected, and the awards honor the legacy of Sheridan's Homer Scott, who passed away in 2023. Scott was a passionate supporter of Wyoming High School Athletics and youth sports in general, as well as community service.

Each recipient was selected from nominations from their respective coaches based on exceptional service, volunteerism, and character. Each player received a $500 scholarship and an additional $500 to donate to a local charity.

The five honorees are as follows: Bridger Cozzens from Little Snake River in 1A 6-Man, William Knowlton of Southeast from 9-Man, Ash Doke of Big Horn in 2A, Ryan Cox from Riverton in 3A, and Masen Wekele of Rock Springs in 4A. Here are the individual player comments on what they do to help their community.

Bridger Cozzens-Little Snake River

My parents have always raised me to believe in myself and do good for others around me. They have taught me to be a leader, and that in turn has created opportunities to give back to my community. I will always be forever grateful for the support group I have had growing up in Little Snake River. I feel that the service and volunteer hours put in will never be able to repay what I have been given. I believe that it is an honor to give back to my town. My goal has always been to not just set an expectation of what a leader should be, but to be that expectation. In my various roles as a student in LSRV, I have tried to set an example for the next generation. I have been involved in every club my school offers. I have served as FFA president, NHS vice president, and a student council member. I wanted to be the change I wanted to see in my community. I have volunteered many hours in my community, such as repairing a roof for an elderly couple, serving food to hundreds of people, setting up funerals, or shoveling snow before church. Although I have dedicated myself to give back to my community in big ways I truly believe there is more to being a leader. I believe that the little things we do every day leave the biggest impact. My father says “Character is not what you do when someone is watching, Character is what you do when no one is watching”. I have tried to become a person that embodies this idea. It means a quick visit to someone, inviting others, opening a door, or even a smile. I don’t believe in bragging about myself or convincing others that I am a good person. I do this because it truly brings me joy. I believe that charity is the pure love of Christ and will always lead to a positive impact. Sometimes it can be hard and it will get difficult, but looking back I would not trade it for anything. It has made me into the person I am today. Donation will go to Little Snake River Football Program

William Knowlton-Southeast

have benefitted my community through service and volunteerism several ways, but I think the three most notable examples are from my participation in Scouting, National Honor Society (NHS), and FFA. As a scout I have participated in several community service projects, such as setting out wreaths for Memorial Day and ringing the bell for the Salvation Army. I have also participated in multiple other scouts’ Eagle Scout projects, including mapping the Guernsey cemetery and building a new hiking trail at Guernsey State Park. For my own Eagle Scout project, I grew a garden for charity that covered roughly 1.5 acres and produced just under 500 pounds of fresh produce for the local food bank over the course of a summer. As an NHS officer I have helped plan and participate in several other community service activities, including playing board games at the local nursing home, picking potatoes for charity at the local research farm, and volunteering as line judges and other assorted jobs at school sporting events. As an FFA officer I have helped plan and participate in multiple larger scale service projects, including making tie blankets for Court Appointed Special Advocates in Cheyenne and packing Operation Christmas Child gift boxes to be sent to children all over the world. Our FFA chapter has also held several more local community service events, such as cleaning up dead trees around the school and donating the firewood and building goat pens for the local fairgrounds. I feel that through these projects and organizations I have had a significant, positive impact on my school and community. Donation to Scouting American Unit 26

Ash Doke-Big Horn

The most important things to me are family, faith, friends and football. I loved playing football, but it didn’t always love me back. I have a neuropathy that decreases my mobility and balance. As a result, I never got much playing time. Instead, I walked the sidelines and made sure I was the first to celebrate others' big moments. I celebrate others because I don’t live in self-pity. If I don’t have it, I might as well cheer on those that do. I’d come to practice knowing I’d get knocked down, and was willingly the target to make someone else better. I also demonstrated service through leadership. I never missed a day of summer weights; this is solely my accomplishment. It was important to me to put accountability into action for my team and my coaches. I also have a learning disability. To me, it’s a strength rather than a weakness. It has shaped me into the individual I am. My teacher told me, “I have been a leader and a mentor for so many other students. I stand up for and support minority students. I am a model for advocating in respectful ways and for bringing teams together and encouraging others.” Outside of school I serve in Church as the first assistant in the Priest’s Quorum. I help choose activities and service opportunities for the young men in my Ward. I’m good at this because I can talk to anyone. I go to our assisted living to administer the Sacrament. When I do, I make sure I take the time to visit, because the people I serve feel lonely. I willingly give them my time. You can’t always choose what life gives you, but I choose to uplift others, be respectful and have a positive attitude no matter what. Donation to Big Horn HS Football Program

Ryan Cox-Riverton

I have served my community in numerous ways, but each act of volunteerism and servitude I practiced through staying consistent. I have learned consistency through sports. In order to succeed in the sport I play, I have to stay consistent in all things- and especially consistent in the little things. I have to do dribbling drills to build hand-eye coordination. I have to push the sled in order to build endurance. I have to play 21-outs with a punishment to revise errors. I have to work on my footwork to be smooth and quick. I have to lift weights to get stronger. No matter how boring, tiring, repetitive, and pointless a drill or practice can seem, without them I would see little to no progress. The only way to become successful in sports is to become accountable and consistent through work. I have taken this knowledge and applied it to my everyday life. Recently, the city of Riverton has received multiple complaints about overgrown weeds. Instead of complaining about someone else not cleaning them up, I took my lawn mower, trimmer and brothers and cleaned the areas up. My mom posted pictures of me and my brothers working on the weeds and we received a lot of recognition. I have performed other similar acts of servitude in my community such as: reffing and coaching our junior football program, assisting the ill/disabled community members around town move their belongings from one home to another, volunteering for Special Olympic events, providing transportation for teammates, etc. These acts are insignificant in my life, but are significant to others because they show an impact over time. I have not done huge acts of servitude in my community, but I stayed consistent in the little acts and I feel they have the same impact. Donation to Community Entry Services Riverton

Masen Werkele-Rock Springs

I am part of multiple organizations that provide dedicated service to the community. I am an Eagle Scout and during my time in the Scouts I learned a lot about doing cheerful service. I learned the importance and impact a quality person has on a community. I have put hundreds of hours over the years into cleaning, building, and improving the community. Some examples of this service are cleaning highways, volunteering at the food bank and soup kitchen, helping others with their Eagle Scout projects, and my personal Eagle Scout project. My Eagle Scout project was building bridges at Western Wyoming Community College for a bike/hiking trail that the whole community could use at their discretion. I am also part of the Health Occupational Career Academy (HOCA). One of my favorite opportunities for service that HOCA offers is Cowboys Against Cancer. This is an event that raises money for families that are in need of a little help while a family member is fighting cancer and also provides funds for our local hospital that is meant to build and support their resources. Another opportunity that HOCA offers is student mentoring. This is an amazing opportunity to connect with the upcoming generation in which our class will go out to elementary schools and create bonds with some troubled kids. My last example was over the summer one of our football team moms needed help clearing a walkway of an elderly woman's sidewalk. The city had been complaining about the overgrowth and was in need of some help. The elderly woman got in contact with our team mom, and with little notice we cleared the sidewalk. She offered us money for the work which we declined proudly. I would gladly take advantage of these opportunities again. Donation to Cowboys Against Cancer.

We have a handful of photos from the Scotty Scott Awards presentation and you can find them in our gallery below.